The Naruto franchise is chock full of multiple-person shinobi teams that feature powerful, unique and eccentric characters. And the legendary Sannin trio is no different.
They are regarded as some of the strongest ninjas in the franchise. Training under Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru worked together for years as a unit representing Konohagakure, which is also known as the Hidden Leaf Village and acts as a backdrop throughout Naruto, Naruto: Shippuden and Boruto: Naruto Next Generation.
Each shinobi is linked to the series’ protagonist, Naruto Uzumaki, in one way or another, and have had integral parts in the main plot. So, let’s explore the Sannin and how they received the accolade.
Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru were paired up to make Team Hiruzen
When a Hidden Leaf child wants to become a shinobi in Naruto, they enroll in the Academy. There, they train under an instructor, learning the ins and outs of being a ninja, while focusing on the three basic disciplines: ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu. The Will of Fire — a peace-and-love philosophy introduced to Konohagakure by First Hokage Hashirama Senju — is also instilled in the shinobi hopefuls.
Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru all went through the Academy at the same time. And as an award for graduating, they received their signature Hidden Leaf headbands while earning the rank of genin.
Once a new graduating class emerges from the school, each member is placed in a group of three which is led by a jonin — an elite ninja. The future legendary Sannin were placed together under the tutelage of Hiruzen, who at the time was also the leader of the village. As a group, the four completed missions together while the First Hokage helped develop their unique skill sets, like Jiraiya’s immense chakra pool, Tsunade’s medical ninjitsu and overwhelming power, and Orochimaru’s knack for mastering a well of techniques.
Hanzo of the Salamander bestowed the ‘Konoha’s Legendary Sannin’ title on the three shinobi
Team Hiruzen was assembled years after the leader succeeded the Second Hokage during the First Great Ninja War. They would eventually disband as the three young shinobi worked up the ranks and became valuable assets to Konohagakure. However, the three came together again during the Second Great Ninja War. And that’s when they earned their Sannin titles.
As a trio, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru made their way to Amegakure — the Hidden Rain Village — on a war mission.
Amegakure isn’t considered a Hidden Village that represents one of the Five Great Shinobi Countries. In fact, the country the Hidden Rain Village resides in hasn’t been named in any of the three anime series or manga. But its location is important; Amegakure sits in a central, landlocked country, and because of its position between multiple Great Shinobi Countries, it found itself as a key battleground during the Second Great Ninja War.
Hanzo of the Salamander was the village’s leader. And after he killed a subdivision of their allies, Jiraiya, Tsunade and Orochimaru fought Hanzo. As history has it, Hanzo defeated the three Konohagakure shinobi. But, instead of finishing them off, Hanzo praised the three for their abilities to survive in a tit-for-tat battle with him. While standing on his giant salamander Ibuse, Hanzo declared his belief that Konohagakure would reign victorious in the war. Because of that, he elected not to kill the three and instead, he bestowed on them the title of “Konoha’s Legendary Sannin.”
The skirmish with Hanzo marked the last time Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru would fight together as a trio of allies.
The 3 Sannin split up after their time in the Hidden Rain Village
Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade retreated to a cave after surviving Hanzo’s assault, and they were approached by three children orphaned by the war. Jiraiya eventually elected to part ways with the other two Sannin in favor of sticking around and watching over the kids: Yahiko, Nagato and Konan — the future creators of Akatsuki.
Orochimaru and Tsunade returned to the Hidden Leaf Village, and they went their separate ways as well. Tsunade continued helping the war effort with her elite medical ninja prowess. On the other end, Orochimaru focused on his life mission — to learn all the secrets of the world while achieving immortality. He joined Root as an Anbu member, which further aided his ambition. The Third Hokage eventually caught his former pupil conducting human experiments on villagers, leading to Orochimaru deserting Konohagakure and becoming one of the show’s primary antagonists.
Once the Second Great Ninja War ended and Tsunade’s love interest Dan Kato died in battle, Tsunade left both the Hidden Leaf Village and the shinobi life behind.
Tsunade and Jiraiya battled Orochimaru during ‘Naruto’
Although dueling Hanzo of the Salamander was the final time the three Sannin fought alongside each other, they would end up sharing a battlefield one last time.
After spending three years with the Amegakure orphans, Jiraiya returned to the Hidden Leaf Village and would then lead a genin trio of his own, which included the future Fourth Hokage and Naruto’s father, Minato Namikaze. Years later, after Minato died protecting the Hidden Leaf Village from Obito Uchiha and sealing the Nine-Tails, Jiraiya elected to take Naruto — his godson — under his wing with the primary focus of teaching the young hero how to control the Nine-Tail’s chakra inside of him.
After Orochimaru’s battle with Hiruzen left the Third Hokage dead, Jiraiya and Naruto set out from Konohagakure to find Tsunade. Their mission to recruit her as the Fifth Hokage was turbulent, however. Before they found her, Tsunade was approached by Orochimaru, who declared that her medical ninjutsu was the only thing that could fix his arms, as they were rendered useless by Hiruzen’s Dead Demon Consuming Seal during their fight. Although Orochimaru revealed the injury came during a battle to the death with their former sensei and that he intended on destroying the Hidden Leaf Village, the snake-like shinobi told Tsunade that he could revive Dan and her brother Nawaki, who died in battle years earlier.
She was given a week to make up her mind. A little while later, Naruto and Jiraiya found Tsunade, and she shot down the idea of becoming the Fifth Hokage as she no longer cared about the village — a feeling that stemmed from the loss of her loved ones. They spent the next week together, however. And after Tsunade watched Naruto’s Rasengan training leave him bedridden, she knocked out her apprentice Shizune and drugged Jiraiya after the two asked her not to take Orochimaru’s deal.
Tsunade then met up with Orochimaru and said she’d accept his offer as long as he didn’t use his restored hands to attack the Hidden Leaf village. Orochimaru accepted, but knowing the villain was lying, she attempted to kill him. However, his pupil Kabuto saved him at the last second. Even though she wanted Dan and Nawaki back, Tsunade knew they wouldn’t want to be revived at the expense of Konohagakure’s downfall.
Well, Orochimaru and Kabuto didn’t take Tsunade’s answer and subsequent murder attempt lightly. A fight broke out and Jiraiya, Naruto, and Shizune eventually joined. This led to Tsunade and Jiraiya taking on Orochimaru in a battle of the Sannins. During the skirmish, Tsunade announced the Legendary Sannin trio was no more. And after a back-and-forth scrap, the protagonists left Orochimaru battered and bruised, and forced to retreat alongside Kabuto. Tsunade would ultimately return to the Hidden Leaf Village with Jiraiya, Naruto, and Shizune, and she accepted the position of Fifth Hokage.
The 3 Sannin each mentored a member of Konohagakure’s Team 7
That battle was the final time the legendary Sannin were together. However, each of them continued to fill a pivotal role in the series. Specifically, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru served as mentors for Team 7’s Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke. As mentioned, Jiraiya took over Naruto’s training, and he helped the tenacious shinobi master the Rasengan, as well as utilize sage jutsu. Tsunade worked with Sakura and developed her into a highly skilled medical ninja, making her an integral part of the Fourth Great Ninja War at the end of Naruto: Shippuden.
Early in Naruto, Orochimaru fixated on Sasuke, who deserted the Hidden Leaf Village and spent years under his tutelage — even though the Sannin’s ultimate goal was to steal Sasuke’s body.
Each Sannin was directly involved in the three shinobi becoming some of the strong ninjas ever, as well as the heroes who ended the Fourth Great Ninja War by defeating Kaguya, the final antagonist of Naruto: Shippuden. Tsunade and Orochimaru also played significant roles in the war, with Tsunade helping lead the Five Great Shinobi Countries, and fighting Madara Uchiha. Orochimaru reincarnated the first four Hokages to help aid in the war effort. He also saved Tsunade and the four other Kage, who were all on the brink of death after losing to Madara.
Sadly, Jiraiya wasn’t around to help halt Madara and Obito’s ambition. In what is perhaps the series’ saddest death, Jiraiya was killed in the Hidden Rain Village by Nagato — one of the orphans he trained — earlier in Naruto: Shippuden. Both Tsunade and Orochimaru remain alive in Boruto: Next Generations.