Characters in order of appearance:
Transcript
- Episode begins with everyone reacting to Naruto’s appearance on the bridge*
Naruto: Now that I’ve come, you’re all right!
Tazuna: Oh…
Sakura: Naruto!
Naruto: The hero of a story generally appears in this kind of situation and takes out the enemy in no time!
Zabuza: Hmph…That brat, eh…
Sasuke (Thinking): He’s long on talk…
Kakashi (Thinking): Man, that idiot! Making such a conspicuous entrance…There’s no point if you don’t catch the enemy off guard!
Haku (Thinking): That boy…
- Haku thinks back to when he encountered Naruto in the forest*
Haku: What’re you doing in a place like this from morning?
Naruto: Training!
Haku: Why are you training?
Naruto: I want to get stronger!
- Haku snaps back to the present*
Naruto: All right, here I go! Kage Bunshin no…
Zabuza: Hmm…
Kakashi: Huh?!
- Zabuza suddenly launches four shuriken at Naruto*
Kakashi: Oh, no!
Naruto: Huh?
Kakashi: Get out of the way, Naruto!
Naruto: Aah!
- Naruto stands in fear as Zabuza’s shuriken careen towards him. Haku throws four senbon needles at Zabuza’s shuriken, canceling them out*
Sakura, Tazuna, Sasuke, and Kakashi: Huh?!
Zabuza: What?!
Naruto: Eh?!
Sakura: He’s saved…
Tazuna: To think the enemy attacks would cancel each other out…That was super lucky…
Sakura: Hey! What’re you doing, Naruto?!
Kakashi: Hey! What kind of idiot would attempt to cast a Jutsu directly in front of an opponent?!
Naruto: Huh?!
Kakashi: The essence of a ninja is deception. How you deceive your opponent. Even casting one Jutsu, you avoid the eyes of your opponents, catch them off balance, and outsmart them…The way you made your entrance earlier, that’s just you coming to be a target…
Naruto: N…Noo! But I went to the trouble of coming to the rescue.
Kakashi (Thinking): What concerns me more than that is…
- Kakashi stares at Haku. Sasuke lays on the ground surround by Haku’s ice mirrors and stares at him*
Sasuke (Thinking): That guy…
Zabuza: Haku…What’s the idea?
Haku: Zabuza, leave this kid to me…Please let me fight this battle my way.
Naruto: What did you say?
Zabuza: Hmph…So you mean no interfering…Haku? You’re naïve…as usual…
Haku: I’m sorry…
Sasuke (Thinking): Naïve, eh…True enough…Judging from these wounds, there’s no mistaking that I was attacked with a senbon. But no vital areas have been targeted so far. Does he mean to half kill me?
Naruto: If so! As for me, I’ll take you out first, so!
Kakashi (Thinking): It’s impossible. It’s too much for Naruto! I should be the one to…
- Zabuza steps in front of Kakashi*
Zabuza: Hey. Don’t get any ideas…If you move, you know what’ll happen to that old man, right?
Kakashi (Thinking): …! True…If I move away from here and head towards Naruto, Zabuza will kill Tazuna. No way can Sakura completely protect him by herself.
Zabuza: How about it? Let’s just see how those young guys fight against each other.
Naruto: That mask…You were Zabuza’s comrade, after all, weren’t you?! You’ve got nerve to deceive us!
Haku: I’m sorry.
Naruto: Huh?
Haku: But, your teacher also said it, didn’t he? Things like deceiving and catching one off guard is a shinobi’s duty. Please don’t take it personally.
- Sasuke brandishes a kunai*
Sasuke (Thinking): You don’t have that luxury, either!
- Sasuke throws a kunai towards Haku’s head, who moves his head back, dodging it*
Sasuke: Ah!
Naruto: Huh?
- Naruto turns and notices Sasuke within the ring of ice mirrors*
Naruto: Sasuke?
Haku: I haven’t…forgotten about you.
Naruto (Thinking): Here I thought he had disappeared…but he was there…
Haku: I would rather you had just gone down quietly. But it looks like it won’t work that way. Fine. I’ll put an end to it first.
Naruto: H…Hey!
- Haku walks towards one of the ice mirrors*
Haku: Naruto. I’ll get to you later.
- Haku phases into the mirror*
Naruto: …!
Naruto (Thinking): W..What’s with him?
Sasuke (Thinking): This is it!
- Haku’s image appears in the mirror in front of Sasuke. Sasuke looks around at all the mirrors*
Sasuke (Thinking): So the real body is over there, eh…Okay!
Haku: I’m over here.
Sasuke: …!
- Haku’s image appears in the mirror directly behind Sasuke. Sasuke looks up to find that Haku’s image is no longer in the mirror in front of him*
Sasuke (Thinking): He moved? How?!
- Haku’s image begins to appear in each of the mirrors. Haku launches dozens of near-simultaneous senbon at Sasuke from each direction, cutting his skin with each of them*
Sasuke: Aah!
- Sasuke falls to the ground, landing on his back*
Sakura: Sasuke!
Naruto: Sasuke!
Naruto (Thinking): What was that just now?! Sasuke’s body suddenly got battered…How’s he doing it?!
- Sasuke clutches his left shoulder*
Sasuke (Thinking): What kind of Jutsu is he using? It’s conceivable that he has clones hide in the mirrors and gets them all to throw the senbons simultaneously…No, they’re too fast considering…What does it mean…not being able to see even the trajectory of the weapons? Also, if it’s a mere Bunshin no Jutsu…I don’t see a reason for these ice mirrors…In any case, there’s no way to question that these mirrors are pivotal for his attacks.
Kakashi (Thinking): What I can do is to launch attacks…from both the outside and inside.
Sakura (Thinking): The thing to do is to figure out the meaning of the mirror!
Naruto (Thinking): I’ll take care of here!
Sasuke (Thinking): All there is to do is…for me to attack the inside and have Naruto try attacking the mirrors from the outside.
Naruto: Yo! I came to save you.
- Naruto suddenly appears next to Sasuke, within the ring of ice mirrors*
Sasuke: …!
Naruto: You okay, Sasuke?
Sakura: Oh…!
Kakashi: What good will it do you to catch your ally off guard?
Sasuke: Y…You idiot! If you’re a shinobi, you’ll move more cautiously!
Naruto: What’s with you?! I came to the rescue, you know!
Sasuke: If you also come inside the mirrors…Damn it! I’ve had it, you fool!
Naruto: Fool? What do you mean by fool?!
Kakashi (Thinking): As to be expected of the number one unpredictable ninja. He’s making the situation worse and worse by coming to aid.
Sasuke: Since it’s come to this, all that is left is to smash the mirrors!
- Sasuke weaves several hand signs*
Sasuke: Katon!
Naruto: Hey! What’re you going to do?!
Sasuke: These are mirrors made with freezing water…If so…
Sasuke: Gokakyu no Jutsu!
- Sasuke exhales a stream of flames from his mouth, shooting them towards Haku’s ice mirrors. As the flames die down, the ice mirrors are revealed to be unaffected, if not slightly more wet*
Sasuke: …!
Naruto: It’s not working at all!
Haku: They won’t melt with that level of firepower.
Sasuke: Keh!
- Haku’s image brandishes several senbon, as each of the mirrors emit a bright white light. Naruto and Sasuke are suddenly launched off their feet*
Naruto and Sasuke: Augh!
- Naruto sits up, blood drips down from two cuts on the sides of his cheeks*
Naruto: Damn it! Where’d he attack from?! Is it the clones?
Naruto: Where’s the real body?!
Haku: It’s useless for you to even attempt following with your eyes. I absolutely will not be caught.
Naruto: Hmph. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!
Sasuke: Don’t!
- Naruto creates over a dozen physical copies of himself, within a cloud of smoke. Each of his Kage Bunshin jump into the air towards Haku’s ice mirrors*
Naruto: If so, I’ll find out which is the real body by hitting them all!
- Haku emerges from one of his ice mirrors and propels himself to another, doing this over and over again while moving around Naruto’s Kage Bunshin, with such speed that they seemed to move in slow motion. Haku cut’s two of Naruto’s Kage Bunshin as he passes by them. A drop of water falls to the ground, as all of Naruto’s Kage Bunshin suddenly disperse into smoke, and Naruto himself is launched back to the ground*
Naruto: Augh!
Haku: This is a teleportation Jutsu that uses mirrors that can reflect only my image. Watching you from the speed I move, it almost seems as if you aren’t moving at all…
Kakashi (Thinking): …! I knew it!
Kakashi: Is that Jutsu…the Kekkei Genkai?!
Zabuza: *laughs*
Sakura: Kekkei…Genkai?
Kakashi: It’s the same type as my Sharingan…Deep blood ties…Lineage of paranormal individuals…A type of Jutsu that is passed on only through those traits…
Sakura: Then!
Kakashi: That’s right…it’s impossible even for me to copy that Jutsu…And there’s no way to destroy that Jutsu, either!
Naruto: Damn it…So…what?!
Haku: Hm?
Naruto: I can’t die here yet. Cause I have a dream that I must turn into reality…The dream to have my strength recognized by everyone in the village…and become the Hokage!
Haku (Thinking): Dream…
- Haku thinks back to when he first encountered Zabuza on a bridge in Kirigakure*
Zabuza: *laughs* Pathetic brat.
Zabuza: Brats like you aren’t needed by anyone and die without every knowing any freedom or dreams…Hmm?
Haku: You have the same eyes as I do…
- Haku snaps back to the present*
Haku: For me, becoming a shinobi completely is difficult. If I can, I don’t want to kill you guys…And I don’t want to get killed by you guys…But if you guys are going to come at me…I’ll kill my feelings with a sword and completely become a shinobi. This bridge is the battleground that connects each of us to our dreams. I, for the sake of my dream. And you, for the sake of your dreams. Please don’t hold it against me…I want to protect the person dear to me…I work for the sake of that person, I fight for that person, and I want to make that person’s dream a reality…That’s my dream. For the sake of the dream, I will completely become a shinobi…and kill you guys!
- Naruto and Sasuke smile*
- Episode ends*
Episode Rating
Story & Pacing (8.9/10) – A Strong Mid-Battle Episode
- The pacing is excellent—it wastes no time, jumping immediately from Naruto’s entrance into battle.
- Each moment builds tension:
- Sasuke is completely overwhelmed by Haku’s mirrors.
- Naruto makes things worse by running headfirst into danger.
- Kakashi is completely blocked from helping due to Zabuza.
- Haku’s philosophy of a true shinobi is revealed in a chilling way.
- The escalation is well-executed, moving from the early phases of the fight to Sasuke and Naruto realizing just how outmatched they are.
- The cliffhanger ending is fantastic, leaving both heroes trapped and Haku fully committing to his path as a weapon of Zabuza.
Character Development (9.3/10) – Powerful Moments for All Characters
- Naruto Uzumaki – Reckless but Unyielding
- Naruto makes his worst blunder so far—jumping into Haku’s trap and making it nearly impossible for Sasuke to win.
- He’s still thinking like a hero and doesn’t fully grasp what it means to fight high-level shinobi.
- His speech about his dream to become Hokage is great, showing his unyielding will even in the face of death.
- His respect for Haku’s resolve at the end is a subtle but great moment.
- Sasuke Uchiha – Growing, But Outmatched
- Sasuke proves his intelligence once again, trying to analyze the mirrors logically.
- His growing frustration at Naruto is perfectly in character—he knows that Naruto made things worse, but he also realizes they now have to fight together.
- He uses fire release, but it does nothing, showing that even his strongest attacks aren’t enough yet.
- His moment of realization that he’s completely outclassed is powerful.
- Haku – The Fully Committed Shinobi
- This is Haku’s true moment of transformation, where he completely commits to his belief that a shinobi must be a tool.
- His hesitation in battle shows his humanity, but his final declaration—"For the sake of the dream, I will completely become a shinobi…and kill you guys!"—is chilling.
- His respect for Naruto and Sasuke as fellow dreamers makes his character more tragic.
- The contrast between his philosophy and Naruto’s is one of the best thematic elements of the episode.
- Kakashi Hatake – The Helpless Mentor
- Kakashi being blocked by Zabuza forces him into the role of an observer, which is frustrating for him but great for the tension.
- His recognition that Haku has a Kekkei Genkai raises the stakes significantly.
- His inner thoughts show his growing concern for his students, making his eventual intervention feel more inevitable.
- Zabuza Momochi – The Smug Mastermind
- Zabuza’s amusement at Haku’s struggle is a great detail.
- He sees Haku as a tool, and his "Haku? You’re naïve…as usual…" line reinforces that.
- His complete control of the battlefield shows why he’s a feared shinobi.
Action & Combat (9.2/10) – High-Speed Intensity
- Haku’s Ice Mirror Jutsu is terrifying in action.
- The speed of his attacks is next-level, making Sasuke and Naruto look completely outclassed.
- Sasuke getting hit from every direction without even seeing Haku move is brutal.
- Naruto’s Kage Bunshin no Jutsu is completely ineffective, showing how massive the power gap is.
- The fight choreography is smart and intense.
- Sasuke’s fire technique failing shows his current ceiling.
- Haku dodging Sasuke’s kunai by barely moving is a subtle but cool moment.
- Naruto and Sasuke getting launched by the mirrors makes them feel trapped and powerless.
Villains & Stakes (9.1/10) – The Power Gap is Clear
- Haku’s dominance over Naruto and Sasuke makes him feel like an overwhelming force.
- Zabuza keeping Kakashi occupied makes this a true no-win scenario for Team 7.
- The threat of death is very real—this isn’t a training mission anymore.
World-Building & Themes (9.0/10) – Dreams vs. Duty
- The introduction of Kekkei Genkai (Bloodline Limits) is huge.
- It shows that some ninja have uncopyable, genetic abilities, adding a new layer to Naruto’s world.
- Kakashi’s fear that he can’t counter Haku’s Jutsu is significant.
- Haku vs. Naruto is now a battle of ideals.
- Naruto fights for recognition and personal growth.
- Haku fights for someone else’s dream and will kill to achieve it.
- This contrast makes their final battle inevitable and emotionally heavy.
Comedy & Lighter Moments (8.0/10) – Naruto's Entrance is Goofy
- Naruto’s entrance is hilariously dumb, which makes it even better when Zabuza immediately tries to kill him.
- Sasuke roasting Naruto for his stupidity is great.
- Kakashi’s exasperation at Naruto making things worse is classic.
Final Verdict: 9.0/10 – A Near-Perfect Balance of Action, Tension, and Themes
- ✔ Strengths:
- Fantastic character development for Haku, Naruto, and Sasuke.
- Haku’s Ice Mirror Jutsu is visually and thematically incredible.
- The tension of Naruto and Sasuke being completely trapped is intense.
- The stakes are real—death feels imminent.
- Naruto’s and Haku’s opposing ideologies set up a powerful confrontation.
- ❌ Weaknesses:
- Naruto’s recklessness, while fitting, may frustrate some viewers.
- Sakura is sidelined, though it makes sense given the scenario.
- Kakashi being unable to act feels a little forced at times.
This episode raises the emotional and physical stakes beautifully, creating an almost hopeless scenario for Naruto and Sasuke while diving deep into the nature of shinobi philosophy.