The legendary Sannin, some of the most iconic characters in Naruto: Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru are more than their appearances in Naruto. The Sannin exist within the pages of a Japanese folk tale spanning more than 43 books called The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant. The Sannin in Naruto share so many similarities with their counterparts of the same name in The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant that one group may not exist without the other.
The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant is a story about how Jiraiya: the master of toad magic, and Tsunade: the slug princess team up to defeat the evil snake spirit. Naruto is a story about how Jiraya: the toad sage enlists the help of Tsundade: the slug queen to defend the village of hidden leaves against the evil snake-like ninja: Orochimaru.
The Tale of Jiraiya The Gallant
The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant begins when the evil snake spirit threatens to take over Japan. In order to accomplish his nefarious goal, the snake spirit must destroy the balance of Japan's three mightiest clans. These clans are named Ogata (which Jiraiya is a part of), Matsuura (which Tsunade is a part of), and Tsukikage. Together, the clans control all the military power and therefore the government. The snake spirit attacks the leader of the Tsukikage clan and attempts to kill him, but fails thanks to the actions of a boy named Orochimaru. The Tsukikage adopt Orochimaru out of gratitude, but unbeknownst to him, Orochimaru was under control of the snake spirit, and this was the snake spirit's plan all along.
The snake spirit used Orochimaru to infect the Tsukikage's mind, having him kill all of his children, and make Orochimaru his successor. With his newfound power, the snake spirit destroys the Ogata and Matsuura clans. The snake spirit tries to solidify his power by throwing Jiraiya and Tsunade, the successors of the Ogata and Matsuura name, off of a cliff, but they both survive. Jiraiya and Tsunade are then taken in by a hermit who teaches toad magic to Jiraiya and slug magic to Tsunade. When Jiraiya and Tsunade confront Orochimaru, their fight ends in a stalemate. To defeat Orochimaru, Jiraiya obtains the Nakirimaru (wave cutting sword), and cuts the wave connecting the evil snake spirit and Orochimaru. The snake spirit is destroyed, the Ogata and Matsuura clans come back to power, and Jiraiya and Tsunade get married. Orochimaru is also pardoned by Jiraiya, as he was merely possessed and not really responsible for what the snake spirit did.
The Tale of An Original Anime
Masashi Kishimoto is not as original as everyone thinks. He did not even take the time to come up with original names for his characters. The fact these two stories are so similar means could only mean that it is time to reevaluate what makes Naruto great. Though the story of Naruto does depart from The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant with certain characters and plotlines, Naruto is still less original than most anime. What makes Naruto great is the way it chooses to tell its story.
Jiraiya from Naruto speaks using slang, dresses stylishly, and has a sense of humor. Jiraiya from The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant is more serious and comes from an older era. Tsunade from Naruto is rough around the edges, street smart, and wise. Tsunade from The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant is more often a damsel in distress. Orochimaru from Naruto is evil, weird, and awkward. Orochimaru from The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant is a puppet. The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant might have great battles, but Naruto has those same battles animated. Anime is the perfect medium for giant frogs, slugs, and snakes to fight, and Naruto is great for the way it tells traditional Japanese folklore.
From Folklore to Anime
The Tale of the Jiraiya the Gallant is a story that is better suited to anime than books. It may be uncultured to say, but it is much more fun to watch giant toads and snakes fight hard-fought battles in Naruto than it is to read about those same battles in The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant. Anime did not exist when The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant was first written, but its story is worthy of being updated. The improvements in technology and the skill of animators have allowed good storytelling to become more accessible to wider audiences.
It would be a shame for stories as mystical as The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant to be lost to time.There might be enough original content in Naruto, and divergence between it and The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant to justify calling Naruto original. Little details like Jiraiya and Tsunade never getting married, and Orochimaru is not being possessed point to a different kind of story. Once Naruto: Shippuden is more developed, the Sannin are much less important to the story. It is true that are storylines that go beyond the Sannin, but what would the Sannin be if not for The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant.