Originally posted by: animemaster

Jiraiya

His name came from old Japanese story(Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari). This story was published over 30 years! The origin of this Jiraiya was actually named (Garaiya, meaning I came) in an old story in China called (Kaishi). Even name, Jirayia has a few different ways to write in Kanji.
This story is now played in (Kabuki). The way Jiraiya looks in Naruto is similar to what he looks like in the Kabuki play. They way he talks is also from Kabuki.
googled and got that. don't know if it's all correct though
It is, actually. The story is apparently roughly thirty volumes long and last published in the early 19th Century, so if you want to learn Classical (at least more classical) Japanese and go at it, feel free.

I heard about this about a week ago from a friend who had another friend do some research for him (and before you go on about friend-of-a-friend, I did see the original e-mail/results). If I recall correctly, the story involves Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru. Jiraiya was a hermit who eventually found a magician who taught him toad magic. He eventually married a beautiful maiden named Tsunade, who was skilled in Slug Magic and settled down in a little house. One day an evil sorcerer named Orochimaru threatened their home and surrounding villages with his snake magic, so Jiraiya and Tsunade fought and defeated him.