JIRAIYA of MOUNT MYOBOKU

I really enjoyed watching these two episodes of Naruto Shippuuden! I think its mostly because Jiraiya is one of my favorite characters from this series, and we get a little inside to his background. An instant jump off to the past of Jiraiya where he and his former team mates are going through training taught by the former third Hokage. Jiraiya, who is very much like Naruto when he’s younger, tries to show his skills but unfortunately it backfires on him. His sensei says he lacks purpose, and decides to teach him something more his pace. He then displays a summoning jutsu. Jiraiya is amazed and wanting to learn the jutsu as well. He is told in order to do so, he must first mold his chakra, learn the seals, and then he will be able to make a contract with the animal he is destined with. So Jiraiya trains himself in order to do the jutsu, and once he thinks he is ready enough and attempts just that. Except instead of summoning, he is transported to Mount Myoboku, the home world of the toads. He first meets Bunta and then is introduced to Lord Fukasaku, and is told that his arrival was expected by The Great Lord Elder. The Lord Elder had a dream of his arrival and that it was a prophecy, and Jiraiya is told to train and wait for this prophecy to present itself to The Lord Elder. That he is the chosen one and it is part of Jiraiya’s destiny. So from that day forward, Jiraiya divided his time training in the village and also training in Mount Myoboku, for both becoming a ninja and a sage.

As time passes, Jiraiya has grown up and become stronger and the day finally arrives when The Great Lord Elder summons him to reveal the prophecy. The Elder talks to him about having a disciple, one who will make a great change in the ninja world. He also reveals it will either be great stability or great destruction, that Jiraiya will be the guide to that revolutionary. Also, that Jiraiya will travel all over the world to write books about his journeys. After hear the prophecy, Jiraiya leaves Mount Myoboku to start his journey for his destiny. Along his journey, he encounters many ninja’s, each with different views and insight of war and peace hoping to find the revolutionary he was meant to train to be his disciple. However, wars were still being fought and Jiraiya was forced to break away from his journey and to come back to the village. Jiraiya reunited with his comrades as they prepare for war. This would be the Third Great Ninja War where they become known as the “Legendary Sannin”.

After the battle, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru come across some kids. They are victims of the war who lost their parents and are now orphans. Nagato, Konan, and Yahiko are their names and they ask for food, and having felt sorry for them and gave them their rations. As they are leaving, the kids continue to follow them. They offer their thanks but also want to learn ninjutsu. Orochimaru suggest to kill them and put them out of their misery, but Jiraiya offers to stay behind and help the kids to take care of themselves. So Jiraiya takes them in his care and as they are eating, Nagato starts to cry. This upsets Yahiko saying that its cowardly and to be a man. Jiraiya tries to lighten the mood and talks of peace that will prevail after the war, but Yahiko debates that it’s not fair how they lost their families in the war and that wars will never end. Later on, Konan rushes to Jiraiya saying that Nagato and Yahiko are in trouble. Once he arrives he notices that the boys are all right, but the ninja that attacked them was dead. Yahiko told Jiraiya that Nagato stopped him, and Jiraiya looked at the ninja and knew he was a chunin. He then looks at Nagato, only to be stunned to see Nagato’s eyes. Nagato has the Rinnegan, capable of being a godlike force for creation or an instrument of destruction. Jiraiya then remembers what The Lord Elder told him before about his destiny, and thinking that Nagato might be the revolutionary. That’s when he decides to start their ninjustu training.

Later that night, Jiraiya hears something and finds Nagato outside crying. Nagato is wondering if what he did was right when he killed the ninja. Jiraiya replies that he doesn’t know, but because of his actions Yahiko didn’t die so it must have been the right thing in order to protect his friend. Time passes again, and Jiraiya with his three students are training and once they finish, he decides to return back to his village believing they are capable of protecting themselves. Once again, Jiraiya rejoins his comrades in battle known as the Legenadry Sannin leaving legends in their wake. Soon afterwards, Jiraiya receives word that his former students have died. He feels he did all he could and what was best for them, and Tsunade comforts him saying that he must still believe in himself. As the Third Great Ninja War continued, another disciple of Jiraiya’s who guided the Hidden Leaf Village to victory was Minato Naimkaze. Jiraiya finds Minato reading his book saying the character sounds just like him in his travels. Minato then mentions about his unborn child, and hopes of one day becoming a ninja. That’s when Kushina enters with a smile for her child, Naruto. Jiraiya is delighted by the news, as he is Naruto’s godfather. Jiraiya still continues on his journey for his destiny, and it would be later before he would meet Naruto in the Hidden Leaf Village.