Why a toad, a snake, and a slug for the three Sannin?

Because the trio draws on the "sansukumi", a three-way deadlock from Japanese folklore: the snake dominates the toad, the slug dominates the snake, the toad dominates the slug. On top of that, the names of the Sannin come from an Edo-period tale in which Jiraiya wields toad magic, Tsunade slug magic, and Orochimaru snake magic.

Is Gamabunta a god, or the Great Toad Sage?

Neither: Gamabunta is the chief toad of Mount Myoboku, a summon, not a deity. The Great Toad Sage is Gamamaru — the very old seer toad who delivers the prophecies. And Gamakichi, often confused with him, is Gamabunta's son.

How does Manda die, and who replaces him on the snake side?

Manda dies during the fight against Deidara: Sasuke summons him, subdues him with a genjutsu, takes shelter inside him, then uses his reverse summoning to teleport out of Deidara's self-destruction — the snake loses his life in the process. After that sacrifice, Sasuke bonds through a personal contract with Aoda, the great blue snake who becomes his summon.

What did Katsuyu do during Pain's attack on Konoha?

Tsunade summons her to protect and heal the entire village at once: Katsuyu splits into a multitude of small slugs that attach themselves to the villagers and relay Tsunade's healing and chakra from a distance. A copy is also entrusted to Naruto to inform him of Pain's abilities.

Where do these three summons live, and have we seen their domains?

Three distinct regions, each tied to a senjutsu: Mount Myoboku (toads), Ryuchi Cave (snakes), and Shikkotsu Forest (slugs). Myoboku is shown often; Ryuchi Cave appears through Kabuto's training; Shikkotsu Forest, on the other hand, is never shown on screen.

Gamabunta, Manda, Katsuyu : les invocations des Sannin

Gamabunta, Manda, Katsuyu: The Summons of the Sannin

July 18, 2026

1430 words | Reading time: 8 min

UniverseSummonsSannin

Toad, snake, slug: the trio is no coincidence. The Sannin's summons draw on an old cycle from Japanese folklore. Gamabunta, chief toad of Mount Myoboku, with his pipe and his oil spit; Manda, the arrogant snake of Ryuchi Cave who demands sacrifices; Katsuyu, the slug of Shikkotsu who splits apart and heals, later passed on to Sakura. Three domains, three senjutsu, and the battles that made them iconic.

A toad, a snake, and a slug for three legends: the summons of the Sannin are no coincidence. They draw on an old cycle from Japanese folklore. Meet Gamabunta, Manda, and Katsuyu.

The Toad-Snake-Slug Triad
Gamabunta, Jiraiya's Toad
Manda, Orochimaru's Snake
Katsuyu, Tsunade's Slug
Three Domains, Three Senjutsu
Summary Table
FAQ

The Toad-Snake-Slug Triad

The trio draws on the "sansukumi", a three-way deadlock from Japanese folklore: the snake dominates the toad, the slug dominates the snake, the toad dominates the slug.

The very names of the Sannin come from an Edo-period tale, in which Jiraiya wields toad magic, Tsunade slug magic, and Orochimaru snake magic. Kishimoto transposes that cycle into three summons.

On a grassy plain, a white slug streaked with blue, a rearing purple snake, and a toad wearing a blue coat marked with a red ideogram face one another. — The three-way deadlock of the sansukumi, transposed as is into three summons.

Gamabunta, Jiraiya's Toad

Gamabunta is the chief toad of Mount Myoboku, the summon of Jiraiya: colossal, pipe in his mouth and a large sword at his belt, he spits oil to amplify an ally's fire techniques.

He only allows a rare few summoners he respects to ride on his head, among them Jiraiya, Minato, and Naruto. Against Gaara transformed into Shukaku, Naruto transforms him into a giant fox with fangs and claws to grab hold of it — in the manga, a generic fox; it is the anime that gives him the look of the Nine-Tails.

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Above a pine forest, a giant toad in a blue coat bearing a red ideogram faces a beige sand creature with blue markings. — It is during this fight against Shukaku that Naruto makes him take on the look of a giant fox.

Manda, Orochimaru's Snake

Manda is the chief snake of Ryuchi Cave, the summon of Orochimaru. Arrogant and quick-tempered, he demands human sacrifices and serves his master only because he cannot defeat him.

He dies during the fight between Sasuke and Deidara: Sasuke places him under a genjutsu, takes shelter inside him, and uses his reverse summoning to teleport out of the explosion. The snake dies from that sacrifice; Sasuke will later bond with another snake, Aoda, through a personal contract.

The head of a giant purple snake with green eyes and curved horns, a tiny figure standing on its snout, against a blue sky. — The chief snake obeys Orochimaru only because he cannot defeat him, and demands his tribute of sacrifices.

Katsuyu, Tsunade's Slug

Katsuyu is the chief slug of Shikkotsu Forest, the summon of Tsunade and then of her student Sakura. She can split into a multitude of copies, spit a corrosive acid, and relay healing at a distance.

Her finest hour: during Pain 's assault on Konoha, she splits apart to protect and heal the entire village at once, relaying Tsunade's chakra to every villager.

On a field of rubble, many small white and blue slugs sit near villagers lying on the ground. — Split into copies after Pain's assault, she relays Tsunade's chakra to every wounded person.

Three Domains, Three Senjutsu

Each summon comes from a sacred place tied to a senjutsu: Mount Myoboku for the toads, Ryuchi Cave for the snakes, Shikkotsu Forest for the slugs.

A nuance of canon: Myoboku is shown often; Ryuchi Cave appears through the training of Kabuto; Shikkotsu Forest, on the other hand, is never shown on screen.

A landscape of giant mushrooms and mossy rocks crossed by waterfalls, at sunrise. — Mount Myoboku, domain of the toads: by far the most shown of the three sacred places.

Summary Table

Aspect	Details
The Triad	Jiraiya ↔ Gamabunta (toad), Orochimaru ↔ Manda (snake), Tsunade ↔ Katsuyu (slug) — sansukumi cycle (snake > toad > slug > snake), names taken from the tale "Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari."
Gamabunta (toad)	Chief toad of Mount Myoboku; pipe, large sword, oil spit. Ridden by a rare few summoners (Jiraiya, Minato, Naruto). Transformed into the Nine-Tails against Shukaku (manga). ≠ Gamamaru (the Great Sage) ≠ Gamakichi (his son).
Manda (snake)	Chief snake of Ryuchi Cave, arrogant, demands sacrifices; serves Orochimaru under duress. Dies when Sasuke uses him to teleport out of Deidara's C0; replaced, on Sasuke's side, by Aoda (personal contract).
Katsuyu (slug)	Chief slug of Shikkotsu Forest; summon of Tsunade and then of Sakura. Splits apart, spits an acid, relays healing at a distance. Protects and heals all of Konoha during Pain's assault.
The Three Domains	Mount Myoboku = toads (shown); Ryuchi Cave = snakes (through Kabuto); Shikkotsu Forest = slugs (never shown). Do not mix them up.

FAQ

Why a toad, a snake, and a slug for the three Sannin?
Because the trio draws on the "sansukumi", a three-way deadlock from Japanese folklore: the snake dominates the toad, the slug dominates the snake, the toad dominates the slug. On top of that, the names of the Sannin come from an Edo-period tale in which Jiraiya wields toad magic, Tsunade slug magic, and Orochimaru snake magic.
Is Gamabunta a god, or the Great Toad Sage?
Neither: Gamabunta is the chief toad of Mount Myoboku, a summon, not a deity. The Great Toad Sage is Gamamaru — the very old seer toad who delivers the prophecies. And Gamakichi, often confused with him, is Gamabunta's son.
How does Manda die, and who replaces him on the snake side?
Manda dies during the fight against Deidara: Sasuke summons him, subdues him with a genjutsu, takes shelter inside him, then uses his reverse summoning to teleport out of Deidara's self-destruction — the snake loses his life in the process. After that sacrifice, Sasuke bonds through a personal contract with Aoda, the great blue snake who becomes his summon.
What did Katsuyu do during Pain's attack on Konoha?
Tsunade summons her to protect and heal the entire village at once: Katsuyu splits into a multitude of small slugs that attach themselves to the villagers and relay Tsunade's healing and chakra from a distance. A copy is also entrusted to Naruto to inform him of Pain's abilities.
Where do these three summons live, and have we seen their domains?
Three distinct regions, each tied to a senjutsu: Mount Myoboku (toads), Ryuchi Cave (snakes), and Shikkotsu Forest (slugs). Myoboku is shown often; Ryuchi Cave appears through Kabuto's training; Shikkotsu Forest, on the other hand, is never shown on screen.

In summary

Gamabunta, Manda, and Katsuyu are not just giant monsters: they are the three faces of a single myth, the one that gave the Sannin their names and their powers. A loyal toad, a servile snake, a protective slug — three summons expressing three ways of being a ninja.