Orochimaru spent 85% of any spare time he had in the library. Having decided to read every book the building was hiding he'd already blown through a few choice psychology texts and a stack or two of fiction and lore. It did not take a genius to derive his image in the eyes of others. The books just gave him sources to cite.
There were more pressing things to worry about these days. War, enemies in the trees, brigands robbing your couriers, armies attacking the village. But there is something primal about the unknown that will always last. People fear what they don't know. They fear it so much they use it as a tactical tool to scare their children straight with.
"If you don't behave the unknown will get you." "The unknown is dangerous." "You aren't safe around the unknown"
Orochimaru was not fully aware of what he was at age six but he was painfully aware of all the things he was not. Unfortunately the rest of his peers, the rest of the village, was aware of this too. Orochimaru was unknown. Mothers ushered their children inside at his passing, urged them not to make eye contact as if inviting him in would curse their household. Vendors did not hand him things out of pity for the war orphans unsure as to whether he could kill them with his eyes. Men did not offer him a place to sleep thinking perhaps he was a ghost and not actually there.
The people of Konoha would never admit to such things out loud. Oh no, Konoha was a friendly, tolerant village, wasn't it? They would never do such a thing as ignore a homeless six year old child. But children will be children and repeat everything they hear. Children did not afford each other the luxury of polite brush offs or little white lies. He heard them chattering all the time. He told himself it didn't particularly bother him.
Today he had been staring intently at the ground trying to understand the unabashed droning of the kids around him, picking apart their thoughts and why they thought them. Out of excited chatter about the recent academy graduation came furtive glances his way.
Suddenly there were several pairs of sandaled feet encroaching on his field of vision. He stopped systematically plucking at blades of grass and folded his hands to his chest waiting for them to leave.
"Nobody cared you were at graduation, huh? You don't have parents?" one of the children piped up. Orochimaru furrowed his brow: they usually didn't have enough gall to actually speak to him.
"…Well…no." He said, carefully considering words before they left his mouth. His own voice caught him off guard as well as the other children. When he finally looked up at whom was addressing him many of them almost bolted, terrified of his eyes. Orochi had yet to learn to hide the bright and jarring gold beneath his lids more often.
"It's 'cause your a vampire innit?" Their little ringleader said smugly as if making an announcement. It seemed to bolster the others, whom nodded or giggled. The tough boy had his shiny brand new Leaf headband fastened firmly beneath his tousled brown hair, no doubt tied by his mother. Orochimaru's alabaster brow remained concerned as he glanced over their faces. Orochi knew for a fact many of them had lost parents. Why would they make any note of it? Of him?
Because he was different. It was unknown and it was threatening.
"No…that is ridiculous." Orochimaru rose and dusted off his well-worn rob, his concern starting to become annoyed.
"Then why's your skin so white?" "Yeah, why?" Chorused the curious peanut gallery. Orochi pressed his lips thin and affixed them with a look serious enough to belong to a 40 year old veteran.
"I don't know." he huffed shortly.
"You dunno huh? Thought you were s'pose ta be the smart kid." The boy extended his grubby little hand and gave Orochimaru's thin should a shove. It was almost enough to knock the frail boy down. He recovered quickly only to shoot a glare over his shoulder so venomous it may have wilted plant life. Several of the children fell back. One squeaked from the back somewhere. None of them made another motion.
Isn't being smart supposed to be a good trait? Why was he being ridiculed for it? Of course, he'd already determined the answer. Orochimaru stood up straight and shuffled away absorbed in his thoughts. Fearing what is unknown was just about the stupidest thing he could imagine. It frustrated him to no end. Why couldn't anyone else understand? Why will no one just go find out what the unknown is before condemning it? How was that supposed to make any sense?
Suddenly a sharp pain rocked him forward accompanied by a loud hollow crack. Glancing down and putting a palm to his head he saw he'd been struck by a rock. He wheeled on the children now a short distance behind him, not wanting to believe it. Another boy threw something and Orochimaru stepped out of the way.
WHY?
Orochi could not even voice all of his frustrated confusion. He opened his mouth to say something but his face only shifted into a threatening snarl. This frightened them and once one boy threw a rock in defense of his friends and his honor the rest of them joined in. The pale outcast child could only dodge so much. There was a moment of panic in which he wondered what the difference was between children throwing rocks and being publicly stoned to death.
He realized there wasn't one.
"HEY! What the heck are you even doing!?" Another kid had arrived on the scene and this one was loud. It was another boy from their academy class. Orochimaru had only remembered him because of his mouth and the explosion of white hair crowning his head.
"Well we were just- Thought maybe the freaky kid was gonna eat our souls or sumthin'-" The brunette boy stuttered if not sheepishly. All the children fell silent now, knowing it had been wrong to do such a thing.
The white haired boy put his hands on his hips and puffed up his chest flamboyantly "Lissin' he may be a freak but he's a freak on our side you numbskulls. You wanna kill your own shinobi?" he bellowed incredulously. He was met with more sheepish gazes and stuttered excuses. The group of children disbanded with threats to 'tell the hokage' and 'have them demoted'.
When they'd all gone the boy turned to Orochimaru. He sat down next to him without hesitation and squinted discerningly at rivulets of red matting Orochi's black hair. "Geez, man, are you okay?"
Orochimaru dabbed blood from his forehead with his sleeve. He frowned deeply at the stain. He was most concerned that he would have to find some way to clean his robe and he did not have any money. He paused, not knowing how to react to kindness or concern.
"I …yes, I'm fine." Thank him? He was thankful the boy had arrived or the situation may have gotten out of hand. Normal people thank other people don't they? "Th…Thank you."
"I'm Jiraiya!" The other said with the widest grin on his face Orochi had ever seen. He extended a hand enthusiastically which Orochi shook or, more accurately, was shaken by. "Don't worry about them." Jiraiya said, waving off dismissively in the direction they had gone.
"Some guys just don't take the time to understand."