Jiraiya

Jiraiya (自来也 or 児雷也, literally "Young Thunder"), originally known as Ogata Shuma Hiroyuki (尾形周馬寛行), is the toad-riding protagonist of the Japanese folk tale Katakiuchi Kidan Jiraiya Monogatari (報仇奇談自来也説話, The Tale of the Gallant Jiraiya). The tale was originally a Yomihon that was published in 1806–1807, and was adapted into a serialized novel that was written by different authors and published in 43 installments from 1839 to 1868; one of its illustrators was woodblock artist Kunisada. Kawatake Mokuami then wrote a kabuki drama based on the first ten parts of the novel, which premiered in Edo in 1852, starring Ichikawa Danjūrō VIII in the leading role. Since then the story has been adapted into several films, video games, manga, and has also influenced various other works.

Katakiuchi Kidan Jiraiya Monogatari (報仇奇談自来也説話)  is considered the first novel or Yomihon to be adapted into a kabuki play, the novel was written by Kanwatei Onitake (感和亭鬼武) and was published between 1806 and 1807. The story was later adapted many more times with variations in the story.

The tale of Jiraiya starts with a poor, masterless samurai named Isami Gentaro, who's wrongfully jailed because he could not afford the rent for his farm. His family manages to get the money to pay his bail so Isami's father, Kirakusai, travels alongside his grandson, Tomokichi, to pay Isami's bail. However, on the way to free Isami, Kirakusai is attacked and killed by Master Rokuyaon Gun who kidnaps the two-year-old Tomokichi and abandons him in a valley. During this time, a masterless samurai of the Miyoshi House, Ogata Shuma Hiroyuki, better known as "Jiraiya", happens upon the young Tomokichi and decides to raise him as his son.

Gentaro is later released with the help of other villagers and becomes a vassal of Shiizu Kunihisa after proving his courage as a samurai at the same time as Master Gun. Gentaro and Master Gun then begin working together to capture Jiraiya as he is a wanted criminal. Fortunately, though caught, Jiraiya manages to scheme his way out of jail. Gentaro eventually meets his wife, Soe (who now goes by "Seino"), and they discuss the former's hatred for whoever killed his father and son, both unaware the latter is alive. Master Gun eavesdrops on this conversation and decides to steal their Amulet of Protection, also known as the "Seitensō" (西天草), and proceeds to kill both Gentaro and Soe. Tomokichi—whilst engaged in a duel with Master Gun for Midori, the stepdaughter of Gentaro—learns that it was he who murdered his family. While this allows Tomokichi a chance to exact his revenge, he is unable to take it as Master Gun uses the Amulet of Protection to escape.

Master Gun is chased to Mt. Miyoko by Tomokichi and, upon reaching the mountain, is accosted by the spirits of the dead until he arrives to a grotto where the Immortal Toad Ascetic lives. They converse, and the immortal sees all of Master Guns' sins and even tells him that, since there are dead souls haunting him, he must be a murderer and that he'll die from his sins. Terrified, Master Gun begs the immortal to save him, to which he agrees but saying he will only help him once. The immortal then uses his magic arts to send Master Gun down the mountain before warning him if he tells anyone of this encounter he will die. However, later that night, after getting drunk with one of Jiraiya's followers, Master Gun tells him of the events at Mt. Miyoko. The morning after Master Gun leaves, Jiraiya goes to Mt. Miyoko to visit the Immortal. The Toad Ascetic then appears in front of Jiraiya and tells him that, even though he is a bandit who committed innumerable sins, he'll teach him one magic art as he admires Jiraiya's loyalty. While Master Gun and Jiraiya are visiting the immortal, Tomokichi sets out to find them and, upon finally locating Jiraiya, recounts to his stepfather of what has happened to his family. Jiraiya vows to assist Tomokichi in his revenge and will be there to help when he is needed, sending his troops to steal the Seitenso from Master Gun so as to lure him out in order to kill him.

After luring Master Gun to a place called Kagamigaura, Tomokichi and Master Gun then engage in battle. While Tomokichi almost fails, he is able to turn the tide thanks to Jiraiya's encouragement, announces he'll avenge his grandfather and parents, and finally cuts off Master Guns' head, ending part one and the first revenge story.

The second part opens up with the immortal on Mt. Miyoko appearing to Jiraiya in his dreams asking for his assistance in return for teaching him more magic arts. Jiraiya sets off towards the mountain to save his master and, when he arrives, sees a monstrous snake fighting his master, who's taken on the form of a giant toad. Jiraiya manages to kill the snake and is rewarded by the immortal with more magic arts, which he then uses to rob a wealthy man right after learning them. Since Jiraiya is wanted by the government, he became a pirate and started plundering commercial ships, until one night at sea the ghost of his former lord, Miyoshi Nagashige asks him to take revenge on the Ishido family, more specifically Ishido Haruchika. Jiraiya agrees and he soon after saves a vassal of Ishido named Agawa Uneo, and his companion Nagisa, the younger sister of another vassal named Madeno Hamanosuke, to which he tosses Agawa Uneo into the sea and takes Nagisa hostage. Agawa Uneo is then saved by a former member of his group and begins to pursue Jiraiya immediately after recovering. During this time, Madeno Hamanosuke goes to Mt. Kinki to pray to Benzaiten, a god related to snakes, for the safety of his lord. He is answered by a goddess who appears before him and gives him the Stone Conch, otherwise known as the "Ishihara" (石螺), which holds the power to negate magic arts and repel evil.

Meanwhile, Tomokichi has become a vassal of Shiizu Kunihisa after taking revenge on Master Gun and is ordered to take back the Amulet of Protection from Jiraiya, to which he sets off in search of his adoptive father. After finding Jiraiya, Tomokichi asks him to return the Amulet of Protection to which the former agrees, but only after the next six months as he needs it to complete his revenge. In order to keep this meeting a secret, Jiraiya summons a powerful tsunami to kill all of Tomokichi's troops despite the latter's pleads for mercy to his men. After all is said and done, Jiraiya invites Tomokichi to go with him on his revenge quest so that he would not be punished.