Naruto · Prologue: Land of Waves

Naruto Uzumaki, the Hidden Leaf Village's resident troublemaker, finally graduates from the Academy and lands on Team 7 with Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno, under Kakashi Hatake. After the bell test, the team draws a simple escort job: take bridge builder Tazuna home to the Land of Waves. It turns serious when Zabuza Momochi, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, shows up with the young Haku. On the bridge, Sasuke nearly dies shielding Naruto, and Naruto taps the Nine-Tailed Fox's chakra for the first time. Haku gives his life for Zabuza, who goes down fighting Gatō's thugs. The bridge is named the Great Naruto Bridge.

1. ReferenceA real prank in disguise

   In the bell test in ep. 4, Kakashi drops Naruto with "One Thousand Years of Death." The move is kancho, a common schoolyard prank in Japan. The US dub cut the shot that shows where his fingers land.

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2. ReferenceThe bridge is named after a whirlpool

   At the end of the arc, Tazuna's bridge is named the Great Naruto Bridge. Japan has a real one, the Ōnaruto Bridge, opened in 1985 over the Naruto Strait. The whirlpools in that strait inspired the hero's name.

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3. SetupA Sharingan outside the Uchiha clan

   Against Zabuza, Kakashi lifts his headband to reveal a Sharingan, the eye of Sasuke's clan. He isn't an Uchiha, and the show doesn't say why. Kishimoto had the answer planned by chapter 16 of the manga; it comes back much later.

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