The Tale of the Gallant Jiraiya by Utagawa Kunisada (1786–1864)
Jiraiya and the Snake Spirit, Orochimaru
Long ago, there was an evil snake spirit that preyed on humans and schemed to take over Japan. To do so, the demonic snake spirit sought to take control of the Tsukikage clan of Echigo province, led by Tsukikage Gunryo Miyukinosuke. One day, the snake spirit attacked Lord Tsukikage, but out of nowhere a young man named Orochimaru appeared to intervene and save his life. Indebted, Lord Tsukikage adopted Orochimaru as his son. Little did he know, Orochimaru was possessed by the spirit of the demonic snake and had been used as a puppet for this staged attack. Once a part of the Echigo clan, the snake slowly manipulated the lord into murdering every one of his offspring, leaving Orochimaru as the sole successor. With the other heirs eliminated, the snake now sought to abolish the powerful Ogata and Matsuura clans and gain control of army and navy forces. He again manipulated Lord Tsukikage to stage a coup between the allies and throw infants Jiraiya and Tsunade down a cliff, thus eliminating the two respective successors of the Ogata and Matsuura clans. Luckily, a magic-wielding hermit named Senso Dojin rescued Jiraiya and Tsunade in time. Senso Dojin raised the children, teaching Jiraiya frog magic and Tsunade slug magic, and he trained them in combat so that one day they would be able to defeat Orochimaru.
Senso Dojin advised Jiraiya and Tsunade that in order to slay the snake, the two must find a mystical sword called Nakimaru. The two set off on their journey, and quickly approached enemy territory. Overcome with emotion, Jiraiya disregarded Dojin’s warning – to only fight Orochimaru with Tsunade at his side, after they found the sword – and attacked the snake on his own. Orochimaru overpowered Jiraiya and nearly killed him with venom, until Tsunade rushed in to save Jiraiya’s life. The two fled and traveled to the nearest village to seek refuge. There, a young woman named Ayame helped them and took a liking to Jiraiya. At night, Ayame asked Jiraiya to stay with her forever. When he answered that Tsunade would forever be his partner and made to leave with her, Ayame leapt to attack Tsunade in anger. Jiraiya swung his weapon to protect Tsunade and cut Ayame deeply. Bleeding, Ayame confessed that she was in fact Jiraiya’s sister. She had planned to ask Jiraiya to help her shed her blood in order to defeat Orochimaru.
Because she was a maiden born in the year, day and hour of the snake, her blood would serve as an antidote to the serpent’s poison. Stunned, Jiraiya tried to stop her bleeding, but it was too late. As she lay dying, Ayame forced him to drink her blood. The snake’s venom left Jiraiya’s body and he was completely healed. Jiraiya and Tsunade were grateful and vowed not to let Ayame’s sacrifice go to waste. After much time, the two finally reached Jigoku-dani (Hell Valley), where they discovered the legendary sword Nakimaru. Armed with the magic sword, the two fought Orochimaru, and in their final battle combined their frog and slug magic to defeat the evil spirit of the serpent. The Shogunate reinstated the Ogata and Matsuura clans. Orochimaru, no longer possessed by the demonic spirit, became known as Yashagoro. Jiraiya convinced the Shogun to pardon Yashagoro’s crimes as he was no longer possessed, and the three lived to protect peace throughout the land.
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker