Ep 1: Uzumaki Naruto Arrives!!

Summary:

Twelve years ago, a Nine-tail Fox Demon attacked the village destroying mountains and causing tidal waves with a wave of its tail. No one was able to defeat it until the leader of the village, the Fourth Hokage sacrificed himself, and sealed away the Demon into a newborn baby, Naruto. In the present, Naruto is being chased because he has painted graffiti over the monument faces of the four Hokages carved into the mountain. Iruka, his teacher catches him and forces him back to the academy.

At the shinobi academy, Iruka calls for a practice test because of Naruto's antics. The students have to do the Transformation technique. Sakura and Sasuke transform successfully. Naruto transforms into a naked girl calling it his Sexy No Jutsu "Temptation Technique," Iruka nosebleeds over all.

Iruka watches over Naruto as he is forced to clean off the graffiti. Naruto doesn't care since there is no one waiting for him at home. Iruka contemplates this and says when he's done he'll treat him to ramen noodles.

At Ichiraku ramen house, Iruka and Naruto talk. Naruto says he wants to exceed all the Hokages and have the village acknowledge his strength. Naruto asks to borrow Iruka's forehead protector, but he says it's for after he graduates.

The final exam calls for the Replication technique (Bunshin no jutsu). Naruto's worst skill! His clone is a pathetic mess and he fails. Mizuki, another teacher, suggests to Iruka to pass Naruto based on his excellent athletic ability and stamina and it's his third time and he technically did the clone skill, but Iruka refuses since everyone else divided into at least three clones and his one clone was useless.

Everyone else passed and are outside celebrating. Naruto is by himself looking on while sitting on a swing. Two of the adults say Naruto shouldn't be a shinobi. Mizuki has a talk with Naruto about how Iruka was an orphan too and wants Naruto to be truly strong. Then he mentions a secret.

Iruka is thinking about his talk with the Hokage and how his parents were killed by the fox demon. Mizuki wakes him up (it's still night) and tells him that Naruto has taken the Scroll of Seals. Meanwhile Naruto has opened the scroll and the first technique is Kage Bunshin (shadow clone) his worst skill again! The shinobi gather and the Hokage sends them to find Naruto.

Mizuki is running around thinking he'll get rid of Naruto and get the Scroll of Seals. Iruka finds Naruto who laughs and says he only learned one skill so far. Mizuki had told Naruto that Iruka will pass him if he can learn a technique from the Sealed Scroll which contains forbidden techniques.

Suddenly, Mizuki throws several kunai at Naruto, but Iruka pushes him out of the way, taking a kunai in the right leg. Mizuki tells Naruto to give him the scroll. Iruka tells Naruto not to give him the scroll even if he dies, it's a dangerous scroll with forbidden ninjutsu and Mizuki used him to get it. Mizuki tells Naruto the truth about him being the nine-tail fox demon, and the rule that nobody is to talk about how Naruto is the demon and that's why everyone hates him, including Iruka. Iruka flashbacks to his talk with the Hokage about how Naruto makes mischief for attention. Mizuka throws a large shuriken at Naruto, but Iruka covers him and gets the shuriken in the back. Naruto asks him Why? Iruka says because they're the same, after his parents died there was no one to acknowledge him so he acted like an idiot for attention. Iruka apologizes for not doing a better job. Mizuki says he's just saying that because he wants the scroll back. Naruto runs away. Mizuki says Naruto will use the scroll to take revenge on the village. Iruka pulls the shuriken from his back (ouch!), and says Naruto is not like that and throws the shuriken at Mizuki who avoids it easily. Mizuki runs off to look for Naruto.

The Hokage is looking into his crystal ball and knows Mizuki has told Naruto. He thinks that there's a million to one chance that the seal holding in the demon fox will break.

Iruka finds Naruto and tells him to handover the scroll, but Naruto knocks him down. Iruka transforms back to Mizuki and Naruto transforms back to Iruka! Mizuki says he and Naruto are the same that they want the power of the scroll. Iruka says Naruto is no longer the Demon Fox, and he recognizes him as one of his excellent students. Mizuki is about to throw another large shuriken to finish off Iruka who is injured and can't escape. But suddenly Naruto kicks Mizuki back and says that if he touches Iruka he will kill him. Naruto uses the only technique he learned form the scroll, Kage Bunshin No Jutsu, shadow replication technique. Hundreds of Naruto clones beat up Mizuki! (It's day now) Iruka thinks he might surpass the previous Hokages and gives Naruto his forehead protector.

Review:

Overall a good episode to start. We're introduced to the main character and his past, which explains why he's so (endearingly) obnoxious. Some scenes get rather sappy, some of the humor is juvenile, and all the drumming can give you a headache or arrhythmia, but the action was good.

Notes:

Thoughts: