When Jiraiya, who has the magic of the
frog, shall marry me, we can then destroy the son of the serpent, the
robber named Dragon-coil (Orochimaru)."

By good fortune, Jiraiya met the maiden Tsunade, and being charmed with
her beauty, and knowing her power of magic, sent a messenger with
presents to her parents, asking them to give him their daughter to wife.
The parents agreed, and so the young and loving couple were married.

Hitherto when Jiraiya wished to cross a river he changed himself into a
frog and swam across; or, he summoned a bull-frog before him, which
increased in size until as large as an elephant. Then standing erect on
his warty back, even though the wind blew his garments wildly, Jiraiya
reached the opposite shore in safety. But now, with his wife's powers,
the two, without any delay, walked over as though the surface was a hard
floor.

Soon after their marriage, war broke out in Japan between the two famous
clans of Tsukikage and Inukage. To help them fight their battles, and
capture the castles of their enemies, the Tsukikage family besought the
aid of Jiraiya, who agreed to serve them and carried their banner in his
back. Their enemies, the Inukage, then secured the services of
Dragon-coil.

This Orochimaru, or Dragon-coil, was a very wicked robber whose father
was a man, and whose mother was a serpent that lived in the bottom of
Lake Takura. He was perfectly skilled in the magic of the serpent, and by
spurting venom on his enemies, could destroy the strongest warriors.

Collecting thousands of followers, he made great ravages in all parts of
Japan, robbing and murdering good and bad, rich and poor alike. Loving
war and destruction he joined his forces with the Inukage family.

Now that the magic of the frog and snail was joined to the one army, and
the magic of the serpent aided the other, the conflicts were bloody and
terrible, and many men were slain on both sides.

On one occasion, after a hard fought battle, Jiraiya fled and took refuge
in a monastery, with a few trusty vassals, to rest a short time. In this
retreat a lovely princess named Tagoto was dwelling. She had fled from
Orochimaru, who wished her for his bride. She hated to marry the
offspring of a serpent, and hoped to escape him. She lived in fear of him
continually. Orochimaru hearing at one time that both Jiraiya and the
princess were at this place, changed himself into a serpent, and
distilling a large mouthful of poisonous v