Episode 1: Naruto Uzumaki is a twelve-year-old ninja living in the Hidden Leaf Village under harsh ridicule from the villagers, having defaced a monument dedicated to the four Hokage leaders out of a need for acknowledgement. Naruto's teacher Iruka Umino reprimands Naruto for putting graffiti on each face statues, later hearing Naruto's aspirations of becoming Hokage to become respected by the villages. The following day, being held back from graduating the Ninja Academy after a botched clone jutsu, Naruto is tricked by an academy teacher named Mizuki into stealing a scroll containing the secret ninjutsu from the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi that night. Iruka intercepts Naruto as Mizuki was going to kill the boy and leave the village with the stolen scroll, Mizuki revealing to Naruto that villagers were ordered to reveal him as a host to a demon fox called the Nine Tails which devastated their village twelve years ago. Mizuki explains this to be reason Naruto is hated, adding that Iruka's parents were killed by the Nine Tails. But a remorseful Iruka protects Naruto while telling the boy they have a lot in common, spurring Naruto to use the Shadow Clone jutsu he learned from the scroll to overwhelm Mizuki. Soon after Iruka uses Naruto's ability to use shadow clones to justify his graduation from the Ninja Academy.
Episode 2: While Naruto gets into an argument with Hiruzen over how he wanted to present himself on the photo of Ninja Registration Form, the Hokage is attacked by a small boy, who is revealed to be his grandson Konohamaru Sarutobi. While following Naruto, who is the first person to not see him solely as the Hokage's grandson, Konohamaru asks to be taught the Sexy Jutsu transformation that Naruto used on Hiruzen. In the process, Konohamaru reveals his own reasons for wanting to become Hokage and his desire to be recognised for his own achievements. The two are eventually found by Konohamaru's mentor Ebisu, who sees Naruto as a bad influence on Konohamaru, with the resultant confrontation ending after Naruto uses Ebisu's lust against him, by combining his Sexy Jutsu and the Shadow Clone Jutsu to produce the overwhelming Harem Jutsu. Through Naruto's guidance, Konohamaru is able to accept that he cannot follow in his grandfather's footsteps by his name alone.
Episode 3: Once graduated from the Ninja Academy, having drank some milk before meeting up with his former classmates, Naruto is assigned to be a member of a three-person squad before undergoing a test to obtain the rank of Genin. He is put into Team 7, along with Sasuke Uchiha, his long-time rival, and Sakura Haruno, whom he has feelings for despite her own feeling for Sasuke. Knowing of Sakura's feelings for Sasuke, Naruto formulated a scheme to dispose of his rival and pose as Sasuke to get close to Sakura. But at the last second, Naruto is forced to go to the bathroom while the real Sasuke somehow escapes and runs into Sakura while searching for Naruto. After expressing disgust toward Sakura when she blames Naruto's stupidity on not having parents, Sasuke finds Naruto after he was forced to ditch a guilt-driven Sakura to go to the bathroom again, with their confrontation short-lived. Meanwhile, Naruto's stomach pains are revealed to be the result of drinking long-expired milk earlier as Hiruzen briefs the Jonin instructor to mentor Naruto and his teammates.
Episode 4: As their classmates gradually all meet up with their [Jonin instructors who will decide whether they are fit to become Genin, Team 7 are forced to wait for theirs. Eventually, after Naruto sets up a juvenile trap, he and his group meet their instructor: Kakashi Hatake. Appearing to be a slacker, Kakashi takes the day to let his students each introduce themselves and tell each other their desires and aims: Naruto states that his dream is to become Hokage, Sakura seems to embarrassed by hers to say them publicly, and Sasuke declares his intent to restore his clan by killing an unnamed person. With the introductions over, Kakashi tells Team 7 that their test will begin tomorrow and that they are not to eat before then. The next day, after forcing Team 7 to wait for him again, Kakashi explains that the test entails the seizure of one of two bells from his person, the catch being that only two of the prospective Genin will pass while third is sent back to the Academy. While Sasuke and Sakura hide themselves away as the test begins, Naruto attempts to face Kakashi head-on with his Shadow Clone Technique, which is easily countered, and then falls for a snare trap. Taking advantage of Kakashi lecturing Naruto about falling for obvious traps, Sasuke seemingly takes out the instructor with shuriken and kunai knives.
Episode 5: After his sneak attack failed, Sasuke attempts to fight Kakashi before being buried up to his neck underground. From there, Kakashi subjects Sakura to a genjutsu of Sasuke bleeding to death before dealing with Naruto when he decides to help himself to everyone's lunches. Once the time limit for the test is reached, Naruto is tied to a pole, and Kakashi deems all members of Team 7 utter failures as he reveals that his test was impossible for them, due to their lack of teamwork during the exercise. From there, Kakashi explains the essential need for ninja groups to work as a unit, as well as stating his own ideal that, while ninja who break the rules are scum, those who abandon their friends are worse than scum. From there, Kakashi offers to give Team 7 one final chance and leaves them with a single order to follow: not to feed Naruto. However, knowing that they need Naruto at full strength for what Kakashi has in store for a make-up test, Sasuke and Sakura feed Naruto. Having watched the entire event, Kakashi dramatically appears before them. As Kakashi apparently prepares to punish them all, Sakura stands up to him, explaining that they gave Naruto food because he's a member of their team. Ultimately, finding a group who actually met his test's standards, Kakashi decides to pass Team 7 and accepts them as his students.
Episode 6: After Team 7 completes a few miscellaneous D-ranked missions, Naruto relentlessly asks Hiruzen for a higher level mission, and they are eventually assigned to escort a bridge builder named Tazuna back to the Land of Waves. But they are ambushed along the way by the Demon Brothers, two Chunin from the Hidden Mist Village in the Land of Water. Though it appeared they killed him as they go after Team 7 and Tazuna, the Demon Brothers learned that Kakashi was aware of their presence and faked his death to catch them off-guard and see his students in action. While applauding Sasuke for holding off the Demon Brothers and Sakura for guarding Tazuna, Kakashi expresses disappointment in how poorly Naruto handled the situation and got himself poisoned. But Naruto refuses to quit the mission, and with Sasuke's taunting getting to him, uses a kunai to stab his hand to bleed out the poison while making a promise to never back down again. Though Kakashi decides to have Naruto's self-inflicted wound dealt with, he is amazed by the boy's rapid healing and wonders if it is the Nine-Tails's doing. Elsewhere, a man named Gato confronts the Demon Brothers' boss for his subordinates' failure to assassinate Tazuna. Threatening Gato with his large sword, the figure decides to handle the job personally.
Episode 7: On the way to the Land of Waves, with Kakashi threatening to abandon the mission if not provided an adequate explanation for lying about the mission's difficulty level, Tazuna reveals his desire to build a bridge to save the impoverished Land of Waves from the wealthy shipping-magnate Gato. Hearing his story, Team 7 agree to go through with the mission regardless for humanitarian reasons. But once on the bridge, the group is ambushed by Zabuza Momochi, a rogue ninja from the Hidden Mist Village who works for Gato. Refusing to hand Tazuna over, Kakashi is forced to reveal a strange eye. The former confused as to how Kakashi obtained it, Sasuke and Zabuza both recognise the strange eye as a Sharingan. While Team 7 protects Tazuna, Kakashi engages Zabuza, both using clones to distract the other to get them from behind.
Episode 8: Kakashi is eventually caught off-guard and is captured in the Water Prison Technique. With Kakashi immobilised, Zabuza creates a water clone to go after the rest of Team 7 and Tazuna. Though Kakashi tells his students to run, Naruto remembers the promise he made to himself and decides to fight to save Kakashi and keep Tazuna alive. With Naruto using his transformation skills with Sasuke's expertise with a Fuma Shuriken, the two youths succeed in forcing Zabuza to release Kakashi in order to avoid Naruto's kunai.
Episode 9: Once freed from the Water Prison, Kakashi uses his Sharingan to replicate many of Zabuza's water-based attacks, causing him to become agitated and is easily defeated. At the last second, Zabuza is seemingly killed by a young masked hunter ninja from the Hidden Mist Village. Naruto is angry and jealous that someone so young could easily defeat an opponent that gave Team 7 so much trouble, but Kakashi says that there are many ninja younger than Naruto yet stronger than himself. The hunter-ninja leaves with Zabuza's body, and Kakashi then collapses from fatigue as a result of using his Sharingan for too long.
Episode 10: Brought to Tazuna's home to recover from his fight with Zabuza, Naruto meets the bridge builder's grandson Inari, while Kakashi awakens realizing that there were numerous inconsistencies between the actions of the masked youth and that of other hunter-nin. Expecting to face Zabuza again, Kakashi decides to take Team 7 to the woods to teach them chakra control by having them walk up a tree by focusing chakra beneath their feet. While Sakura was successful on her first try, both Naruto and Sasuke had to attempt it numerous times. Elsewhere, revealed to be Zabuza's follower, the masked youth known as Haku tends to Zabuza's wounds as the swordsman intends to settle things with Kakashi once fully healed in a week's time.
Episode 11: While Naruto and Sasuke try to outdo each other in their Tree Climbing Practice, Sakura accompanies Tazuna and is astonished by the poverty and fear in the Land of Waves. Following dinner, Sakura asks about Inari staring at the torn family photo on the wall, but the boy runs off with his mother Tsunami chasing after him. Tazuna then explains that the man torn from the picture, named Kaiza, was once a hero in the Land of Waves whom Inari looked up to. When Gato arrived, Kaiza was executed by Gato's men to serve as an example of anyone who opposes Gato, which traumatised Inari greatly. Moved by the story, Naruto resumes his training with the intent to prove to Inari that there are still heroes in the world.
Episode 12: Taking a nap after training in the woods, Naruto is awoken by someone whom he thought was a girl. Eventually learning that the person is actually a boy, but unaware that he is the masked youth Haku, Naruto gets into an exchange of ideals and morals before the two part ways. Once found by Sasuke, Naruto resumes his Tree Climbing Practice into the evening until he and Sasuke finally make it to the top of their respective trees. Naruto and Sasuke return triumphantly to Tazuna's home, with Naruto cheerful yet completely drained from the effort. Inari is disturbed by the sight of Naruto, thinking about Kaiza and gets into a heated dispute with Naruto, who leaves while calling him a coward. Later that night, Kakashi tells a despondent Inari that Naruto understands the boy's pain from his own hardships. The next morning, deciding to let Naruto sleep in, Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura escort Tazuna to work. Upon arriving at the bridge, they find Tazuna's workers unconscious with Zabuza and a masked Haku revealing themselves as the culprits.
Episode 13: At Tazuna's house, two of Gato's thugs arrive to kidnap Tsunami. Inari musters his courage in an attempt to stop them, but is saved when Naruto defeats them. Before leaving to join the others at the bridge, Naruto apologises to Inari for calling him a coward and acknowledges his bravery. On the bridge, as Kakashi engages Zabuza, Sasuke's newly gained speed gives him an advantage against Haku before the masked ninja traps him in his personal Crystal Ice Mirrors Technique.
Episode 14: Having arrived, with Kakashi preoccupied with Zabuza, Naruto attempts to help Sasuke by attacking the Crystal Ice Mirrors from the outside while Sasuke attacks from the inside. But Naruto's unfamiliarity with Haku's abilities traps him as he and Sasuke are forced to work together against Haku, who sees that he must make an exception to his no killing policy.
Episode 15: Naruto and Sasuke both attempt to destroy the ice mirrors, their respective Shadow Clone and Fireball Techniques having no effect. Realizing that Haku's Crystal Ice Mirrors are actually an Ice-Style Kekkei Genkai, a genetic trait in certain ninja, Kakashi decides to use his Sharingan to quickly end his fight with Zabuza. But Haku told him about Kakashi's methods during their last fight, Zabuza has the advantage as he uses his Hidden Mist technique to counter Kakashi's Sharingan and force the ninja to anticipate his opponent's next move. While Kakashi rushes to Tazuna and Sakura under the assumption that Zabuza would attack them, he ends up leaving him himself open from behind as Zabuza lands a strike with his Kubikiribōchō sword.
Episode 16: Naruto and Sasuke are both injured severely from Haku's Crystal Ice Mirrors before the latter reveals his Uchiha lineage by awakening his clan's own inherit ability: the Sharingan. With Sasuke's Sharingan allowing him to track Haku's incredibly fast movements, he is deemed a bigger threat than Naruto and a volley of senbon [fr] is used to force Sasuke to take a hit meant for his teammate. Believing his teammate had died in his arms, Naruto is enraged and unconsciously taps into the Nine-Tails's chakra to heal his wounds while punching Haku.
Episode 17: Inari is shown running from door to door throughout the Land of Waves, trying to rally the villagers into defending Tazuna and the bridge. Meanwhile, The Nine-Tails chakra recedes after Naruto used to punch Haku while dispelling his mirrors, breaking his opponent's mask and revealing him as the youth he previously conversed with. Asking Naruto to kill him as he had failed Zabuza, a flashback reveals that he had inherited his ability from his mother as they leaved in the Land of Water. But as those with Kekkei Genkai are demonized, Haku is forced to watch his mother murdered by his father before subconsciously invoking his powers to kill his father and the angry mob. Some time after, Haku was found by Zabuza and trained to hone his skills to be of use to the swordsman. Meanwhile, having sensed Naruto only released a fraction of the Nine-Tails's chakra, Kakashi summons a number of dogs to find and restrain Zabuza. At that time, Haku manages to convince Naruto to kill him before seeing Kakashi about to finish Zabuza off with his Lightning Blade Technique.
Episode 18: Though he agrees to kill Haku, Naruto instead witnesses Haku sacrificing himself to protect Zabuza from Kakashi's Lightning Blade. Unfazed by his apprentice's sacrifice, Zabuza continues attacking Kakashi while Tazuna accompanies Sakura to Sasuke's body. Kakashi manages to disable Zabuza's arms before their battle is interrupted by Gato and his men, the criminal intending to kill Zabuza and everyone else present. Meanwhile, disappointed in his attempts to rally the villagers support for the bridge, Inari sets out alone but finds a crowd waiting for him outside.
Episode 19: Now fired by Gato, Zabuza no longer sees a reason to fight Kakashi and is unfazed when his former employer kicks Haku's corpse. Though Zabuza sees Haku as nothing more than a tool, he is moved by Naruto's words as he tearfully acknowledges Haku's sacrifice. With Kakashi telling Naruto not to interfere out of respect, Zabuza redeems himself as a ninja by enduring multiple stabs and beatings to reach Gato and killing him with the kunai he placed in his mouth. Zabuza collapses as Gato's men retreat when the villagers arrive, Team 7 are relieved to discover that Sasuke is still alive, having been spared any lethal injuries. Honouring Zabuza's dying wish to place him beside Haku, Kakashi assures his former enemy that he and Haku will go to the same place. Soon after, he and Team 7 give the two rogue ninjas a burial with Zabuza's Kubikiribōchō as a grave marker, and Naruto express his disdain for the notion that ninjas should strive to become merely tools and declares that he will find his own Ninja Way. As Team 7 leave for the Hidden Leaf, Tazuna proclaims to the village that the bridge will be called the Great Naruto Bridge to signify the strength that Naruto gave Inari, who in turn gave it to the whole town.
Episode 20: After their adventure in the Land of Waves, Team 7 has returned to doing miscellaneous missions, with Naruto's rivalry with Sasuke making matters worse to the point that Kakashi decides to call it a day and sends his students home. After Sasuke takes his leave, Naruto and Sakura meet up with Konohamaru and his friends Udon and Moegi. As antics ensue with him making Sakura mad, Konohamaru accidentally bumps into two foreign ninja. Despite advice from his older sister Temari (one of the two mystery ninja), Kankuro (the other) threatens to kill Konohamaru. After somehow tripping Naruto, Kankuro was about to hit Konohamaru when Sasuke hits the ninja with a stone. Just as Kankuro is about to attack Sasuke, he is stopped by his younger brother Gaara as Temari explains that they are ninja from the Hidden Sand Village in the Land of Wind who have arrived for the Chunin Exams.
Rating: 8/10(Average)
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