Board Thread:Naruto Discussions/@comment-26381681-20160824020705/@comment-2043993-20160824171036

I don't think Orochimaru and Gaara meeting in part 1 would have made as great an impact as if they'd met in part 2 prior to the Fourth Shinobi World war. If they had met prior to Orochimaru killing Rasa (Gaara's pa and the fourth Kazekage) the only thing that could've come of it was possible Gaara getting to know that he wasn't the biggest fish in the lake a lot sooner.

If they had met after the murder in part 1, Orochimaru would most likely have played around with Gaara (physically and mentally) before getting bored and leave (or outright retreat before his deteoriating body made any further fun impossible).

however, such a meeting would have allowed us to see a flashback of how Oro and Rasa got allied, who sought out whom, what they negotiated an allegiance and perhaps even the moment Rasa was killed.