Krad was once the student of Orochimaru. Later he, along with four others, were branded with Orochimaru's new five Cursed Seals. Of the five, Krad was the only one to survive, establishing the one-in-five chance of surviving the Cursed Seal. Orochimaru supposedly rejected Krad as a subordinate, believing he did not have the lust for power or vengeance needed to fuel the Cursed Seal. Orochimaru lost interest in him, though he believed there was some value in letting him live. He was glad to discover that he wasn't tossed away like trash as he first had thought by Orochimaru, but chose to leave Orochimaru herself.